North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was the keynote speaker at North Carolina Right to Life’s 25th annual Rally and March for Life on January 14. Speaking to the crowd, he reaffirmed his commitment to life and dismissed the idea that abortion is a solution to poverty.
Robinson, who is the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, was born the ninth of 10 children and lived in poverty for much of his childhood. He reflected that had his mother been encouraged to choose abortion, he would likely not be standing there demonstrating that it is possible to succeed, even under difficult circumstances.
“Had my mother followed such evil advice, I would not be standing before you right now, having made history in this state as the first Black lieutenant governor of North Carolina,” Robinson told the crowd. “Children would not be able to flip open the history books and see that a poor child, number nine out of 10 children from a small town in North Carolina, could grow up to be the lieutenant governor of this state, quite possibly the governor of this state.”
Robinson also said that he believes North Carolina should become a “destination state for life.”
“[North Carolina] can be a leader in the charge to stand up for life and to ensure people don’t go to the abortion clinics — not because there’s a law — but simply because they don’t want to. Because North Carolina is a place that makes life worth living and life worth giving,” he said.
“Abortion is not compatible with this nation, the same way slavery was not compatible with this nation. How can you have life and liberty if you end life in the womb, and do not give people their freedom after they’re born? This nation is built on those ideals. And so we have to stand up for life.”
He also reaffirmed the need to provide for children and their families after birth — not just before it.
“Once that child is born, once that child comes into the earth, that child’s going to need health care, that child’s going to need an education, that child is going to need housing, and we need to make sure that if we’re fighting to bring these children into the world, that we’re also fighting to provide them with a type of life that is going to allow them to be successful. So that they can have life, they can have liberty and they can pursue their happiness,” he said.
Robinson has previously spoken about the own abortion he and his wife got before they were married in 1989, noting that it was a decision they deeply regret. “This decision has been with us ever since,” he said. “It’s because of this experience and our spiritual journey, that we are so adamantly pro-life.”
